Federal authorities say a New York woman’s violent online fantasies didn’t stay confined to social media — and nearly turned into something much worse.
Jennifer E. Curran, 40, of Dansville, has been charged after allegedly posting explicit threats to murder President Donald Trump and torture and kill former U.S. medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, while also threatening law enforcement officers who came to her home to investigate.
According to a federal complaint filed in the Western District of New York, Curran used the right-leaning social media platform Gettr to broadcast a stream of threats, written mostly in all caps, declaring her intentions in stark, unfiltered language.
“I am going to kill the president,” Curran allegedly wrote in a Dec. 4 post. In another, she said she planned to “torture Fauci to kill him then maybe bring him back to life to do it all over again,” before adding that she might “blow up this planet.”
“I am dead serious,” she allegedly wrote. “We will make a big shindig of it!!”
The FBI National Threat Operations Center received a report on Dec. 5 flagging the account, identified as “@Word_Smith,” which had posted threats of assassination, torture, basement killings, and a potential mass shooting.
When FBI agents and New York State Police traced the account to Curran’s residence, they found a scene that prosecutors say matched the tone of her posts. The home was under construction, and the basement was lit with Christmas lights. Curran was allegedly found near the back of the house, agitated and holding a hammer.
According to prosecutors, Curran admitted she had posted the threats, telling officers she was “very upset.” She also allegedly said there were “social workers” and “police officers” she wanted to hurt.
At one point, Curran allegedly told officers, “I got my [expletive] weapon and I can do whatever the [expletive] I want to you [expletive].”
When questioned about the threats, Curran reportedly invoked free speech.
“I can post whatever I want. It’s called freedom of speech in this [expletive] [expletive] fascist [expletive] [expletive] country,” she allegedly said, before waving the hammer in what authorities described as a threatening manner.
Prosecutors say she warned officers to back away and suggested she might retrieve a nail gun. She allegedly told them that if she “had to kill someone on her property to get her point across,” she would.
“Get away from me before I assault you,” Curran allegedly said.
Officers were eventually able to wrestle the hammer away and place her under arrest. Even then, prosecutors say, the threats continued.
“I am going to bite one of you,” Curran allegedly shouted. “I’m going to kill all of you, you’re done … you better tell your families to hide!”
Curran has been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
